The Tears Of Pain: A Friend Lost, Another Gained
by Jinn-Jinn
Summary: A little story with its mix of sadness and happiness starring Takato and Jeri. Not my work BTW, its all by Tails The Fox. :-)


Message from Jinn-Jinn: This little ficcy isn't mine. It was written by a fellow Tajeri fan, Tails The Fox, who would very much like it if you emailed your reviews at caleb@netdoor.com. If you can't then just send me the review and I'll be sure to send it to Tails. Hope you all like it!  
  
******  
  
The Tears Of Pain: A Friend Lost, Another Gained  
  
"Oh boy! I can't wait!" Takato thought giddily to himself as he hopped out of bed. "A whole day to myself! Mom and Dad are gone all day and the house is mine!"  
  
Takato's mom and dad were both going to be out of town all day, going to get some extra supplies for the bakery. They told Takato they'd be home around four.  
  
"Maybe I'll go get Guilmon and bring him home for a couple of hours? I  
  
wonder if he remembers the nights he stayed here before we found "his house" in the park?" Takato questioned himself.  
  
"We'll I'd better get going, this is going to be quite a busy day."  
  
Takato said aloud as he fixed began his morning routine.  
  
"Here Tai! Here boy!" Takato called as he stepped out into cool, rainy  
  
mid-January air of the small backyard of his neighbor's house.  
  
The Matsuki's next door neighbor's had moved away and decided to give  
  
their backyard to them. After days of constant begging, Takato's mom  
  
finally relented, and let him get a dog.  
  
"Tai? Tai??" A little fear was welling up inside Takato as he couldn't  
  
see his chocolate lab anywhere.  
  
Takato froze with fear as he saw the metal gate swing open with a sudden gust of wind.  
  
"Tai!!!"  
  
Takato sprinted toward the gate and dashed through it. He looked out  
  
onto the curb of the occasionally used street and saw a wet, brown clump of fur. Takato didn't want to believe it. He rushed to his friend's side and looked at his eyes. He remembered how they almost seemed to glow in the middle of the night, sending out a piercing ray of yellow and brown light.  
  
"The wind must have blown the gate open last night...." Takato thought  
  
to himself sadly as he stroked his hand over Tai's soaking wet fur. "He  
  
was just a puppy.....He was only seven months old." Takato's eyes overflowed with tears as he gently looked over Tai's body. He didn't notice any marks or gashes of any kind.  
  
"At least it wasn't painful......" Takato thought solemnly to himself as he sniffed sadly. Takato tenderly knelt down and gathered Tai up in his arms, and carried him inside the gate, into his back yard.  
  
"Pat....pat..pat..tink." The raindrops fell softly and patted the dark  
  
black wind suit jacket Takato was wearing. The cold made Takato's exhales visible in the air. When he saw it, he wished he could just give Tai one more breath of life. Takato couldn't help but cry as he trudged inside and brought out a towel to dry Tai off.  
  
"I'll miss you buddy......" Takato buried his face in his hands as he  
  
sat down on a waterlogged piece of wood in the corner by the fence.  
  
Outside the Fence  
  
"Sniff...sniff..." A young boy crying softly could be heard.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong?" A young brown haired girl thought softly as she approached the gate. She pressed her face to one of the many small slits in the wood and saw a boy with khaki pants, a blue shirt and black wind suit jacket, and a pair of blue goggles outlined in yellow on his forehead. She ever so quietly slid open the gate and stepped inside. Takato was so distraught he didn't even notice someone was watching him.  
  
"He must be in Heaven by now......" Takato thought to himself. He put  
  
his head down as he folded his arms over his knees. The rain quickened its pace as Takato's tears began to fall faster as well. The cold Takato was feeling was overpowered by the emptiness he felt in his heart.  
  
"Takato?" Jeri seemed almost stunned as she placed her hand softly upon  
  
his shoulder. He lifted his head up slowly and saw a dripping wet brown- haired girl looking back at him, full of concern.  
  
"Oh....hi Jeri." Takato managed a small smile.  
  
"What's wrong Takato?" Jeri asked as she sat down beside him.  
  
"Tai got hit by the car this morning I guess." Takato managed to say. "I went outside and saw that the gate was open. I looked out there and saw him laying on the side of street." Takato breathed deeply.  
  
"Awwww.....Takato. I'm sorry." Jeri tried to sound sympathetic as she  
  
crossed the arms of her dark blue jacket, trying to keep warm.  
  
"Thanks." Takato used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his eyes.  
  
"Don't cry." Takato felt the warmth of Jeri's hand as she placed it upon his. "It'll be ok. He's in a much better place now."  
  
"You think so?" Takato brightened up a little, his eyes still red from  
  
his tears.  
  
"I know it." She said as her eyes briefly met Takato's as they looked up at each other. "All dogs DO go to Heaven you know."  
  
They both laughed a little as they instinctively stood up from the cold  
  
wet wood upon which they had been sitting. "Thanks Jeri." Takato looked at her as they stood under the awning that extended from Takato's back door as the raining was coming down harder now. "You really are a true friend."  
  
Jeri just shrugged it off as they both seemed to be looking around the  
  
back yard one last time, hoping to see Tai jumping up and rolling around once again.  
  
"Bye Takato." Jeri slowly leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips  
  
before running down the driveway and heading toward her house.  
  
All the cold air suddenly seemed to be blocked out as Takato relived the sensation he felt when Jeri kissed him for the first time. As Takato headed inside and sat down at the desk in his room, he picked up a picture he had taken a few weeks earlier with Jeri and Tai at Dancing  
  
Rabbit Park in downtown Tokyo. The picture was of Takato and Jeri  
  
standing beside each other with Tai sitting in front of them, holding his paw out, ready to shake. As he looked at the beautiful brown haired, brown eyed girl in the picture, his heart began to feel the love again, that he thought he'd lost forever.  
  
********** 


End file.
